Ernst Hirsch Ballin

Ernst Hirsch Ballin
Ernst Hirsch Ballin in 2013
Member of the Scientific Council for Government Policy
In office 1 July 2014 – 1 April 2019
Director	See list André Knottnerus (2014–2017) Corien Prins (2017–2019)
Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations
In office 23 February 2010 – 14 October 2010
Prime Minister	Jan Peter Balkenende
Preceded by	Guusje Ter Horst
Succeeded by	Piet Hein Donner
Member of the Council of State
In office 1 November 2000 – 22 September 2006
Vice President	Herman Tjeenk Willink
Member of the Senate
In office 13 June 1995 – 1 November 2000
Parliamentary group	Christian Democratic Appeal
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 17 May 1994 – 1 June 1995
Parliamentary group	Christian Democratic Appeal
Minister of the Interior
In office 10 January 1994 – 18 January 1994 Ad interim
Prime Minister	Ruud Lubbers
Preceded by	Ien Dales
Succeeded by	Ed van Thijn
Minister for Netherlands Antilles and Aruba Affairs
In office 14 November 1989 – 27 May 1994
Prime Minister	Ruud Lubbers
Preceded by	Ruud Lubbers (Ad interim)
Succeeded by	Ruud Lubbers
Minister of Justice
In office 22 September 2006 – 14 October 2010
Prime Minister	Jan Peter Balkenende
Preceded by	Rita Verdonk (Ad interim)
Succeeded by	Ivo Opstelten as Minister of Security and Justice
In office 7 November 1989 – 27 May 1994
Prime Minister	Ruud Lubbers
Preceded by	Frits Korthals Altes
Succeeded by	Aad Kosto
Personal details
Born	Ernst Maurits Henricus Hirsch (1950-12-15) 15 December 1950 Amsterdam, Netherlands
Political party	Christian Democratic Appeal (from 1982)
Spouse	Maria Koppe ​ (m. 1977)​
Children	2 sons
Residence(s)	Tilburg, Netherlands
Alma mater	University of Amsterdam (Bachelor of Laws, Master of Laws, Doctor of Philosophy)
Occupation	Politician · Civil servant · Jurist · Researcher · Academic administrator · Author · Professor

Ernst Maurits Henricus Hirsch Ballin (born 15 December 1950) is a retired Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and jurist.

Hirsch Ballin worked as a researcher at the University of Amsterdam from 1974 until 1977 and as a civil servant for the Ministry of Justice from 1977 until 1981. Hirsch Ballin worked as a professor of Constitutional law and Administrative law at the Tilburg University, serving from 1 May 1981 until 7 November 1989. After the election of 1989 Hirsch Ballin was appointed as Minister of Justice in the Cabinet Lubbers III, taking office on 7 November 1989. Hirsch Ballin was also appointed as Minister for Netherlands Antilles and Aruba Affairs, taking office on 14 November 1989. Hirsch Ballin served as acting Minister of the Interior from 10 January 1994 until 18 January 1994 following the death of Ien Dales. On 27 May 1994 Hirsch Ballin and Minister of the Interior Ed van Thijn resigned over illegal interrogation techniques used by the police. Hirsch Ballin was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives after the election of 1994, taking office on 17 May 1994. Hirsch Ballin returned as a professor of International law and Jurisprudence at the Tilburg University, serving from 1 July 1994 until 22 September 2006. Hirsch Ballin resigned as a Member of the House of Representatives on 1 June 1995 after he was elected as a Member of the Senate after the Senate election of 1995, taking office on 13 June 1995. In October 2000 Hirsch Ballin was nominated as Member of the Council of State, taking office on 1 November 2000.

Hirsch Ballin was again appointed as Minister of Justice in the Cabinet Balkenende III following the resignation of Piet Hein Donner, taking office on 22 September 2006. After the election of 2006 Hirsch Ballin continued as Minister of Justice in the Cabinet Balkenende IV, taking office on 22 February 2007. The Cabinet Balkenende IV fell on 20 February 2010 and the Labour Party cabinet members subsequently resigned on 23 February 2010, the cabinet continued to serve in a demissionary capacity with Hirsch Ballin continuing as Minister of Justice and also took over as Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. In April 2010 Hirsch Ballin announced that he would not stand for the election of 2010. Following the election Hirsch Ballin was not giving a ministerial post in the new cabinet. The Cabinet Balkenende IV was replaced by the Cabinet Rutte I on 14 October 2010.

Hirsch Ballin semi-retired from active politics and returned as a distinguished professor of Constitutional law and European Union law at the Tilburg University on 1 April 2011 and as a distinguished professor of Human rights at the University of Amsterdam since 1 May 2011. Hirsch Ballin served as a Member of the Scientific Council for Government Policy, serving from 1 July 2014 until 1 April 2019. After his retirement Hirsch Ballin occupies numerous seats as a nonprofit director for supervisory boards in the business and industry world and several international non-governmental organizations and research institutes (Institute for Multiparty Democracy, European Christian Political Foundation, The Hague Institute for Global Justice, Carnegie Foundation, T.M.C. Asser Instituut and the National Archives) and as an advocate and lobbyist for human rights and democracy.

Biography

Early life

Hirsch Ballin was born to a Jewish father Prof. Dr. Ernst Danny Hirsch Ballin, and a Roman Catholic mother. After completing his secondary education, he studied law at the University of Amsterdam and became a practicing Catholic.

He graduated in 1974, and he received a Master of Laws degree. He received a Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1979 for his dissertation on public law and policy, which focussed on fundamental issues surrounding the work of the Advisory Council on Government Policy (WRR).

Hirsch Ballin was a research assistant in constitutional law at the University of Amsterdam from 1974 to 1977. He was subsequently employed as a legal officer at the Ministry of Justice. In 1981 he was appointed professor of constitutional and administrative law at Tilburg University.

Politics

Princes Máxima and Minister of the Interior and Justice Ernst Hirsch Ballin during a FATF meeting in Amsterdam on 23 June 2010.

From 7 November 1989 to 27 May 1994 Hirsch Ballin served as Minister of Justice and Minister for Suriname and Netherlands Antilles Affairs in the Cabinet Lubbers III. In 1994 he offered his resignation, after turmoil about the Dutch Criminal Investigation Department.

After the Cabinet Kok I with a coalition of the Dutch Labour Party, People's Party for Freedom and Democracy and Democrats 66 came to power the Christian Democratic Appeal was pushed to the opposition and Hirsch Ballin became a Member of the House of Representatives a post he held until 1995.

During this period he was also professor of legislative issues at the Tilburg University. In 1995 he was appointed professor of international law at the same university and later became Member of the Senate. He was elected as a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2005. In 2000 Hirsch Ballin was appointed to the Dutch Council of State and he resigned as a Member of the Senate.

Hirsch Ballin has held numerous other positions, among them government commissioner for the review of legislation, member of the Board of the Netherlands Atlantic Association, member of Committee 2004 (for the relationship between the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba) and deputy justice on the Central Appeals Tribunal and the Administrative Court for Trade and Industry. He has been editor of the Dutch administrative law journal "Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Bestuursrecht" and the book series European and International Law.

On 23 May 2008 satirical cartoonist Gregorius Nekschot was arrested which caused (inter)national controversy. Hirsch Ballin wanted to pass a bill on blasphemy, but failed. He was accused of causing the cartoonist to be brought to court for blasphemy to get a verdict to bypass the parliament.

Hirsch Ballin is also an active member of the Justice Leadership Initiative.

Family

Ernst Hirsch Ballin is married; he and his wife have two children.

Decorations

Honours
Ribbon bar	Honour	Country	Date	Comment
	Knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre	Holy See	10 December 1990
	Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion	Netherlands	8 October 1994
	Grand Officer of the Order of Leopold II	Belgium	21 March 2008
	Officer of the Legion of Honour	France	30 October 2014
	Grand Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau	Netherlands	1 April 2019	Elevated from Officer (3 December 2010)

External links

Official

• Template:Nl icon Prof.Mr.Dr. E.M.H. (Ernst) Hirsch Ballin Parlement & Politiek
• Template:Nl icon Prof.Mr.Dr. E.M.H. Hirsch Ballin (CDA) Eerste Kamer der Staten-Generaal